Social media star and Britain's Got Talent judge KSI has announced he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen, ending a 12-year association with the group. The 32-year-old, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, made the announcement in a video posted on YouTube, describing it as the hardest video he has ever had to make.
In the video, KSI said he had gone back and forth on the decision for a long time, but ultimately decided that 31 May would be his final Sidemen video. He described the group as his second family, saying they had grown up together and built something none of them thought possible when they started making random videos and playing Grand Theft Auto.
KSI said nothing bad had happened and the decision was entirely his own, but he had felt pulled in many directions and was running at full speed, trying to be everything for everyone. He added that he had started losing balance in his own life and found it hard to make time for his family.
He thanked each of the other Sidemen members – Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne and Harry Lewis – and said they deserved someone who could give 100%. He expressed hope that fans would continue to support the group, who he said would still do amazing things.
The Sidemen, formed in 2013, have expanded beyond YouTube into a fried chicken chain, clothing, alcohol and cereal. KSI, who appeared on Saturday's Britain's Got Talent final, began his YouTube career in 2008 with Fifa videos and later moved into music, releasing two studio albums.
